It’s a shoppers paradise in Bishek. It’s the “wholesale” bazaar. Many items are sold in sets or 4 or 5. And the pricing is amazing. There is no discount on single items since it competes with the other “retail” bazaar across town. But for less than twice the price of two items, you can get 4 or 5. The math is weird but the bargains are undeniable.
It is said to be the largest public market in Central Asia. It is an amazing place where the stores are made of shipping containers stacked on top of each other. As far as the eye can see, it’s an endless sea of stacked shipping containers. It is an extremely busy and noisy place where you can buy all kinds of things. We spent a whole day walking around and shopping but probably saw less than a fourth of the area.
You don’t have to worry about taking time to stop and eat because food venders are constantly rolling by with carts of tasty local foods. As the heat of the afternoon began to rise, the vendors started to close up shop. It seemed to happen so quickly that we suddenly found ourselves in the quietness of the closed up market.
Between 4:45 and 5:00 it went from a crowded bustling market to an empty city of stacked containers.
What an amazing experience!